Method of making a can opener



March 15, 1955' H. G. STAGGERS 2,703,993

METHOD OF MAKING A CAN OPENER Filed April 14, .1952

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HARRY q'. smqesns A TTORNE) United States Patent METHOD OF MAKING A CAN OPENER Harry G. Staggers, Hagerstown, Md.

Application April 14, 1952, Serial No. 282,211

1 Claim. (Cl. 76-101) The present invention relates to improvements in can openers and a method for producing the same.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a can opener which can be readily applied to a can and by a slight downward movement and pressure effort a can can be opened quickly and in a neat manner and this is particularly desirable in the opening of milk cans.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener of simple construction and capable of being manufactured and retailed at a low monetary figure.

Another object is in the method of forming the head portion of the implement including the cutting member that will reduce the number of steps now necessary in producing openers in a similar nature.

These and various other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the fol lowing description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of the implement.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view showing the head portion of the implement.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view looking at the head portion.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that the tool orimplement is produced from an elongated sheet of substantially heavy gauge metal and this is generally referred to by numeral 10. This sheet of metal is first stamped to provide a rela tively broad head portion 11 and a narrow handle portion 12, the stamping operation involving the cutting of a hooked shaped formation 13 protruding beyond one side edge of the handle 12 adjacent the head 11. This hooked shaped formation 13 has a pointed terminal 14 and is in close proximity to one of the shoulders 15, 15 of the head 11. This constitutes a bottle cap remover.

The forward end of the head 11 in the course of being stamped and formed has a V-cutout 16 made therein as well as a V-slot 17, the reduced end of the V-cutout merg- 2,703,993 Patented Mar. 15, 1955 ing with the apex of the V-slot 17, as can be determined by viewing Figure 5. This divides the forward end of the head 11 into a pair of lugs 18, 18 by the presence of the V-shaped cutout, and also a tapered tongue 19 through the medium of the V-slot 17. This stamping and cutting step is followed by a bending operation which bends the lugs 18, 18 at right angles to the head 11 and also bends downwardly in a curved form, the tapering tongue 19, to the extent substantially shown in Figures 2 and 5.

The tongue is beveled adjacent its reduced end to define a point for piercing sheet metal cans and the like.

It can now be seen that through the above method, an article manufactured in the form of a can opener results and this article is substantially shown in the 5 views of the accompanying drawing.

The lugs 18, 18, in the use of the tool, are simply placed over the edge of a can and the point of the downwardly curved tongue 19 allowed to rest upon the top of the can to be ruptured. By now pressing downwardly, the pointed end of the tongue 19 will pierce the can and with but little effort. This opener may be used in opening cans of various forms and sizes.

While the foregoing description sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

A method of constructing a can opener comprising first forming an elongated blank having an enlarged head, next simultaneously cutting an inwardly directed V-shaped slot and a pair of outwardly divergent V-shaped slits in said head, said slits each communicating with the apex portion of said slot, next bending the side portions of said head to a plane perpendicular to the plane of the blank, next bending the portion of the head defined by said slits in a direction toward the free ends of said side portions, and finally bevelling the free end portion of the head defined by said slits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,261,153 Needham Apr. 2, 1918 1,396,991 Butcher Nov. 15, 1921 1,652,201 Harris Dec. 13, 1927 1,670,676 Anderson May 22, 1928 2,122,830 Acker July 5, 1938 2,163,301 Will June 20, 1939 2,238,178 McCoy Apr. 15, 1941 2,489,677 Robinson Nov. 29, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 134,235 Austria -e.- July 25, 1933 

